Perspectives with Neilo

Taiwan's local elections are approaching—but could the battle for Taipei signal something bigger? In this first episode of our election series, Neil O'Sullivan is joined by Brian Hioe, founding editor of New Bloom Magazine, to examine the upcoming Taiwan local elections and one of their most closely watched contests: the Taipei mayoral race. Can incumbent KMT mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) secure a...

How does China expand its influence and exert control over its neighbours without triggering open conflict? From the disputed waters of the South China Sea to the waters and airspace around Taiwan, Beijing is increasingly using grey-zone tactics to advance its strategic objectives. These activities — involving coast guard deployments, maritime militia, military pressure and other forms of coercion...

China’s new Ethnic Unity Law raises a troubling question: how far can Beijing’s reach extend beyond China’s borders? Under President Xi Jinping, repression of China’s ethnic and religious minorities has intensified for more than a decade. The treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Tibetans and other minority communities has been accompanied by growing restrictions on language, culture, religion and pol...

How Taiwan Became the Republic of Chips How did Taiwan go from a largely agricultural, labour-intensive economy with little semiconductor expertise to becoming one of the most important centres of chip manufacturing in the world? That is the remarkable story explored in A Chip Odyssey, the documentary directed by Hsiao Chu-Chen. Made over five years and featuring more than 80 interviews with peopl...

On August 26th, 2026, a catastrophic flash flood tore through the Tibet–Nepal border region, destroying infrastructure, devastating communities and leaving more than a thousand people dead, with thousands still missing. But this disaster raises questions that go beyond the immediate human tragedy. What caused the flood? How quickly did the disaster unfold? And, perhaps most importantly, could peop...

Ireland has maintained a policy of military neutrality for decades—but neutrality does not mean opting out of defence. After decades of comparatively low investment, Ireland's defence capabilities now face serious gaps in areas ranging from military radar and maritime surveillance to airspace monitoring and responses to modern hybrid and drone threats. At the same time, Ireland increasingly relies...

What is life really like in Ukraine after more than four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion? And how is the war changing on the ground? In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, Neil O’Sullivan speaks with Professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor of Politics at Dublin City University and author of Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the Near Abroad, following his recent visi...

What happens when foreign investment becomes a matter of national security? An investigation by The Irish Times in March revealed how alumina produced at Aughinish Alumina in County Limerick has been exported to Russian smelters whose aluminium has entered supply chains serving Russia's defence industry. The story has reignited debate about Ireland's relationship with strategically important forei...

China insists it is a force for peace, stability and development—but do its actions match its rhetoric? In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we examine China's latest grey zone operations around Taiwan, where Chinese Coast Guard vessels began issuing commands to foreign commercial ships operating in waters east of the island. Security analysts warn these seemingly routine maritime patrols m...

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) recently visited the United States following her high-profile meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing. During a public discussion at the Asia Society in New York, she faced tough questions about Taiwan's future, cross-strait relations, the 1992 Consensus, and whether engagement with Beijing can coexist with Taiwan's democracy and autonomy. In this episode...

As the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square ( 天安門 ) massacre approaches, I’m re-releasing this conversation with Wu’er Kaixi (吾爾開希) — one of the most prominent student leaders of the 1989 pro-democracy movement in Beijing. Recorded in Taiwan in June 2025, this conversation explores the legacy of Tiananmen and the lasting global significance of June 4th, the state of democracy and dissent in...

In this episode, we explore A Foggy Tale, the acclaimed Taiwanese historical drama directed by Chen Yu-hsun, which recently received its Irish premiere at Dublin’s Savoy Cinema. Set during Taiwan’s White Terror era in the 1950s, A Foggy Tale follows a young girl searching for the truth surrounding her brother’s execution during a time of martial law and political repression. Through striking cinem...

At the end of April, Taiwan’s President, Lai Ching-te ( 賴清德 ) was forced to cancel a diplomatic visit to Eswatini after multiple countries denied overflight access—an unusual and highly coordinated move. Days later, RightsCon 2026 in Zambia was abruptly cancelled, reportedly due to the planned participation of Taiwanese civil society groups. What connects these two events? In this episode, we e...

Did China cross a line in Ireland — or is something bigger happening beneath the surface? In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we examine a recent intervention by China’s ambassador to Ireland, who criticised Irish politicians for engaging with Taiwan — and suggested such actions were not in Ireland’s public interest. We’re joined by Barry Ward, Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire, who pushed ba...

As Ireland marks Saint Patrick's Day, we’re revisiting this episode of Perspectives with Neilo: The Anaconda in the Irish Chandelier — a conversation about power, fear, and the subtle ways political influence can shape democratic behaviour. There’s a metaphor often used in diplomatic and academic circles to describe China’s influence — the anaconda in the chandelier. Everyone can see it. Everyone...

In June 1989, the world watched as the Chinese government declared martial law and sent troops into Beijing to end the student-led demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. The crackdown — now known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre — remains one of the most consequential and censored events in modern Chinese history. In this episode, we sit down with Wu’er Kaixi, one of the most prominent student leader...

Was Taiwan ever part of China — or is that a modern political claim built on a selective reading of history? In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, I'm joined by author Dr. Lee Moore to unpack the historical record behind Beijing’s claims over Taiwan. Drawing on his new book, China’s Backstory: The History Beijing Doesn’t Want You to Read, Dr. Moore challenges some of the most widely repeated...

China is building its largest embassy in Europe — a vast diplomatic complex beside the Tower of London. But critics warn it could become something far more controversial. In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we investigate China’s proposed “mega embassy” at Royal Mint Court, the political decisions that approved it, and why security experts, MPs, human rights groups, and local communities a...

There’s a metaphor often used in diplomatic and academic circles to describe China’s influence — the anaconda in the chandelier. Everyone can see it. Everyone knows it’s there. But no one wants to acknowledge it, because naming it would mean having to act. The phrase was coined in 2002 by the American scholar Perry Link, in an essay for The New York Review of Books. One of the world’s foremost exp...

In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we investigate China’s growing political influence in Ireland and the recent meetings between Irish elected officials and members of the Chinese Communist Party. These engagements come at the very moment Ireland’s national cyber-security authority warns of state-aligned threat actors— including those linked to China and Russia—targeting Irish infrastruct...

Why is China holding private, closed-door meetings with democratic leaders — including in Ireland — despite growing warnings about CCP influence operations? And how does this secrecy connect to Beijing’s global effort to reshape the narrative around the Uyghur crisis? In this episode, Irish anthropologist Dr. David O’Brien joins us to share insights from his time living and researching in Xinjiang...

As Ireland prepares to assume the EU Presidency in 2026, its cautious approach to Taiwan continues to draw attention. Why does Ireland remain an outlier among EU member states in its engagement with Taipei, and how much is that caution driven by concerns about Ireland–China relations? In this episode, we speak with John McGuinness, Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow–Kilkenny, and Cha...

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long pursued a multi-pronged strategy to annex Taiwan — a campaign that has intensified in recent years. From near-daily military incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and territorial waters to provocative blockade exercises around the island, Beijing is steadily increasing pressure. Alongside these military threats, the CCP is waging...

Our daily news feeds are dominated by active conflicts—but what about the tensions simmering just below the surface, with global stakes just as high? One of the most strategically significant, yet underreported flashpoints in the world is the Taiwan Strait—a 180km-wide body of international water separating Taiwan from mainland China. It's here that grey zone activity by the People’s Liberation Ar...

The European Union’s trade deficit with China has doubled over the past decade, fuelling growing frustration in Brussels over what officials describe as a flood of low-cost Chinese products into the EU. Beijing’s continued support for Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is also a major sticking point. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas called China the “key enabler” of Putin’s war and urged Beijin...